Kirin love
by Draguna Doragon
Summary: Yasha Tengu is a girl who is sensed by Enki, as a Youma. she falls into one of the twelve kingdoms, and her story begins. who are her parents? how can she talk to Youma? Also, isnt it about time Keiki and Youko got together? that's what Yasha thinks when
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1_

_Another day…_

In perfect silence, she arose.

Get up.

Make the bed.

Have a shower.

Wash face and teeth.

Get dressed into a perfectly pressed high school uniform, long black skirt, black jumper with white bow pinned to the front, long white socks and black pumps.

Brush and dry ghostly white hair.

Stare into those dark crimson eyes in the mirror sadly, void of any facial emotion, willing no tears to stain porcelain skin.

Pick up bag.

Lock door.

Leave for school.

That's the way a normal school day goes, right?

She had been doing the same thing day in day out for so long…it seemed strange to think there was any other way to start the day.

And school was good.

The best thing for her.

It was a distraction, something to keep you occupied.

Although…it was also the worst thing for her.

"Heh heh, did Oni-chan have a good ride to school this morning?" A girl with flawless short brown hair giggled cruelly.

"Oh no! Someone's poured bleach on your head! Oh, wait." Another one snickered. "That's natural for you, right?"

"If you can call _that_ natural."

"And those eyes! Maybe she did something bad in another life?"

"Like kill babies in their sleep."

"Baby killer!"

"Baby killer!"

They would say that, to her, behind her back, in hushed whispers, in loud howling laughter.

Every.

Single.

Day.

Again, part of her normal routine. Nothing wrong there...right?

And then there were the teachers…

"Ms Tengu, if no one comes to parent's evening tonight, you will have another detention. Understand?"

"Hai, sensei." She replied with a bow of her head, like an obedient.

"_Baka_-chan. Don't spill that water pot. If my art project gets messy, then you'll be in for it for sure!"

And so she sits at her desk, quietly drawing the plant pot before her, before someone walks past her classmate's desk, and _pushes_ the pot over. "Hay! Who did that? My work's ruined!"

"_She_ did it." They would point, and she would say nothing.

"Ne? right! Sensei! Sensei! Tengu-chan just threw water on my work!" She would look to her lap, her eyes closed.

"Ms Tengu, why do you insist on being so troublesome? Report to the principle's office young lady."

"Hai sensei." She would get to her feet slowly, pack her back and make her way to the principle's office.

Just another average day…

And when she got home?

Unlock door.

Lock door.

Put bag down.

Get undressed.

Get out art pad.

And lost herself for hours in just drawing one picture, any picture. From a hand, to a fly, to a sunrise. Just _anything_ to take her mind off her miserable existence.

Some days she forgot to eat, but that didn't matter. As long as she didn't stop, as long as she didn't let herself think too much, it was ok. She could pretend to be happy with her life, without having to smile to prove it.

This girl's name is Yasha Tengu, 16 years old, a natural albino and a natural outcast. She's an orphan and has been for as long as she can remember. Although…there are those dreams. The one with a women in it, with long flowing raven hair, blue eyes and a soft smile. and a man, looking over her shoulder and down at her. But she can't see him exactly. Just his outline. Just his eyes.

Those big, blood red eyes. _Like mine…_

At times, she wonders if they are her parents. And at other times, she wonders if they are just images her mind creates at night to help her to sleep, by fooling her into thinking that at one time, she actually _was_ loved by someone.

But then…if that were true…

_Then why did you leave me…?_

_Why did you leave me alone…_

_Alone…_

oo0oo

"And Yasha Tengu?"

"Ohayo sensei." Yasha whispered, turning to face him as everyone else in the class hastily left to make their way home.

"I would like a world with you, Ms Tengu."

"Hai, sensei." Yasha sat herself in front of her teacher's desk, and politely waited. Mr Honga, a man in his mid forties with slowly whitening short black hair, a set of harsh rectangular glasses and work suit on, raised his eyes from his papers, only to shake his head and sigh at her.

"Ms Tengu, you're parents didn't come to parents' evening last night."

"I have no parents sensei. I never have." Yasha gave no hesitation. She had said the same thing countless times before, to her teachers, and herself.

"That isn't the point, Ms Tengu. _Someone_ should have come. Like your guardian."

"I don't have one, sensei. I live alone in a council apartment given to me by the state. A landlady checks up on my once a month, and brings me groceries and allowance money."

"You have no one? No one at all?!" He sounded scandalised, sat before her wearing his pristine suit and expensive designer watch.

"No one. No one at all." Her blank expression never changed, her hands never twitched and her lips never trembled with remorse.

She had lost the ability to cry years ago. Although sometimes she felt like she could…

"I see." He took a deep breath, no quite sure what to say next. "Then I suppose you can go, Ms Tengu."

"Arigato, sensei." Yasha bowed her head, and quietly left the classroom.

Her long black skirt and long sleeved school jumper with a white neck ribbon, made her look like she was going to a funeral. Her long white hair flowed wildly behind her, her blood red eyes focused before her as she made her way home. though, her feet were automatically taking her the long way home.

To kill time.

To occupy herself.

To avoid her classmates…

…or at least try.

"Hay! Oni-chan!" She didn't stop, and instead increased her speed.

But so did they. "Oni-chan! Stop!" Yasha ran, panting desperately to will her slender body to work harder, go faster. She turned into a back alley she frequently used, and jumped up onto a set of dustbins. From there, she put the handle of her bag in her mouth, grabbed the metal pole of the fire escape above her, and hoisted herself up onto it. She then quickly climbed up onto the roof, and hung her upper half over the ledge, looking down with frantically scanning red eyes and panting lips. "Whoa! Where'd she go?" Yasha counted at least three of them, one girl and two boys. They were all in her class.

"She vanished! Just like a ghost!"

"She _looks_ like a ghost."

"Maybe if we got some evidence or something, we could sell her secret or something."

"Heh heh, yeah _right_."

Yasha watched from above as they slowly left, going their own way home.

"…they're gone. That was close." She sighed, and closed here eyes.

"It was, wasn't it?" Yasha gasped, and snapped her head over her shoulder.

Stood there, was a boy.

He had gloriously long golden hair, sharp blue eyes, a foreign blue tunic over white trousers and shirt, and a smirk on his boyishly young face. "Nice moves by the way. You do that often?"

"In a sense…" Yasha gulped, holding the ledge behind her and pressing herself against it. "…who are you?"

"Who am I? How did I get up here before you? How did I see everything that happened? How did I know where you where?" he clicked his tongue with annoyance. "You certainly ask a lot of questions, don't you?"

"I, I, Gomennasai, I-"

"You just apologised to me on instinct, didn't you?" The boy stalked towards her, seemingly bored with his arms across his chest.

"I, I."

"Am making no sense." he then stood a few feet away from her, and became very serious. "Answer me this, _Youma_. How did you get to Wa?"

"To…wa? Y, Youma? Gomen, but…what?"

"I can smell the blood on you Youma. You can't fool my nose like you can my eyes. I could sense your aura from the moment I came to Wa. Now." He raised one hand in the air, and narrowed his blue eyes on her. "How did you get here?"

"I, I just climbed up the fire escape. Y, you saw me, didn't you?" Yasha's heart was pounding in her chest.

Something about this boy made her wary, frightened.

And _deep_ inside her…angry.

But she was far too afraid to address that. She glanced back over her shoulder to the fire escape, and then back to the stranger. Yasha yelped as her feet snapped together, and were yanked from beneath her. Her back hit the roof floor with a painful thud, and she clawed at the floor for dear life as she was reeled in towards the golden haired stranger. The skin on her legs scraped on the cement roof, cutting in various places until her long white socks became spattered with red lines and patches. Her skirt rode up her body, and she twisted round onto her front, trying to claw herself away.

"Submit to my power, Youma. Combine yin and yang! Resist no longer!"

A pulse of something ran through her, and for a moment, she stopped struggling.

But as soon as she laid by his feet, and he began to reach for her face, she screamed at the top of her lungs, and slapped him hard.

Right across the face.

What an insult to a divine creature of the heavens…

"Itai! You little wench!" He recoiled, cupping his throbbing cheek with one hand, the other gathering a mass of golden light. "I said submit!"

"No!"

_Be strong. Never relent! You are mighty!_ "Leave me alone!" Yasha screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks. She pushed herself up until she sat with her legs curved round her and her hands supporting her on the floor. She opened her watery red eyes and looked to him desperately. "Leave me alone! What did I ever do to you?!" Yasha yelled, hung her head over and sobbed hysterically. "I never hurt anybody…never…did anything…just leave me…alone…"

Enki stared down at the pitiful young girl before him, and started to question himself.

He smelt blood on her, and it was making his head slightly dizzy. He could even sense her powerful Youma aura.

She was definitely a Youma.

But…she also seemed like an ordinary, troubled young girl too.

Her long, slightly scuffed black skirt billowed around her ankles, her long sleeved black jumper flapped slightly in the cold wind (they were high up on a roof, after all) and her long, ghostly white hair flowed wildly in the air around her pale face. He was truly stunned by her.

"Who…what _are_ you?" Enki took a step back from her, as she whimpered sadly to herself. _She's not human, that's as obvious as her eyes are red. And her hair…she smells Youmanic. I can't just leave her here. I was supposed to find Taiki. But…I should return. _He turned his back to her, and a heavenly orb formed on his forehead. A Shoku opened up in the ocean, whipping trees from their roots and crashing waves against the urban shores. Yasha screamed the wind making her own hair whip around her face until she couldn't see.

All she felt, was a firm hand on her upper arm, and then suddenly the feeling of being off her feet.

Then it was as if she were falling for eternity, ocean mist spraying at her face and clothes, the smell of salt saturating her as she fell, and yet, the feeling of warmth.

"I…feel…cold." The warmth left her, letting her fall faster, harder, the force of her decent making her skin tingle and breathing became difficult. Yasha's long white hair flowed behind her at last, letting her stare down into the depths of a golden mass in the middle of the ocean.

The one, she was about to fall into. "NO! AHHHH!!" Yasha screamed, crossing her arms over her face to protect herself, and fell out of control, hurtling straight through the Shoku and…felt the icy knives of an ocean cut at her skin.

She forced her eyes open, only when she erupted through the water's surface. Yasha gasped deeply, throwing her arms and legs around to stay above water. Her crimson eyes scanned around her, and she saw land. Her mind playing mental havoc through shock, allowed her body to go on autopilot and paddle herself desperately towards the dirty shore.

By the time she got there, her arms and legs hurt, her lungs ached, her mouth was bitter with sea water and she was shivering from the freezing cold. Her breaths came out in puffs of smoke, and she wrapped her arms around herself, for what little warmth _that_ would give her. She was soaking wet, and started crying again. "Why…why…where am I?" Yasha staggered up the dark sandy shore, and soon met with a forest edge. She whimpered to herself, and made her way through the trees.

If she stayed out in the open like that, then _that boy_ might find her.

She didn't even care if he drowned.

When you'd lived a life like Yasha, you knew it was foolish to concern yourself with other people. They will only hate you for it.

So instead of looking back over her shoulder, or pausing even once, Yasha headed on, holding onto tree barks as she passed them, just walking on.

Surely she would find her way back to the main road, or at least to a house where she could get directions from, right?

After all, the ocean, from the roof, had been only a few miles down the valley. She couldn't _remember_ there ever being a beach like this, or so much woodland either, but she accepted that there was. Because she wouldn't be stepping between mossy foliage covered tree roots and dead leaves, if it wasn't there. Now would she?

_I'll get to the main road, and follow it north. That way, I'll get home in about an hour or so._ Yasha shivered, sniffling her tears away, and ignoring her trembling weak knees, or her cold stinging skin.

Yasha ended up treading leaves for at least 3 hours, before her legs buckled from beneath her. Tears burn her cheeks, but were unnoticed by the throbbing pain in the rest of her body, and her heart hurt especially. Yasha fell forward onto her hands and knees, her tears falling in large droplets to the dank bed of leaves beneath her. She hiccupped through her sobbing, and finally gave in. She fell, half her face in the grime, her hair fanning over her face like a silken cover, and her breathing slowed. Consciousness left her, and she dreamt of that beautiful woman and that pair of red eyes looking down at her happily.

_Mommy…daddy…_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Nani?" Enki pouted furiously as the Emperor of En chuckled at him. he had quite the deep purple bruise on his left cheek.

"If I didn't know any better, Enki." Shoryuu snickered behind his hand, as graceful as he was ale to be. "I would say you tried to nibble more than you could chew with a woman." When Enki just blushed, Shoryuu laughed his head off openly, and slapped the mahogany table with mirth. He watched as his golden haired Kirin pouted sulkily and stroked his own cheek, as if doing so would make it vanish.

"Just because _you_ like a lot of female company…"

"What was that? Enki?"

"Nothing." Enki grumbled, and began wrapping his blue turban around his hair, letting two golden bangs hang by his face.

"So…how was our success with Taiki? Any word?"

"No…" he sighed, and looked to his Emperor. "No news. But I _did_ encounter…something odd."

"Ne?" Shoryuu, dressed in his imperial black, blue and golden royal robes, with white linen hanging out the sleeves and around his ankles, sat back in his extravagant chair, and looked out the window to the garden pond. If it wasn't for the fact that 500 years of past conversations went like this, Enki would have thought the Emperor wasn't listening. In fact, this was his way of saying I am listening thoroughly, but will not let you see my expression until I have decided upon my final opinion.

"Hai. I saw a girl-"

"Heh heh. I _knew_ it!"

"Nani?! That isn't what I meant!"

"Sure…I suppose even a 500 year old Kirin gets 'lonely' every now and then…" he smirked at him, loving making his Kirin blush like a fumbling little school boy. Not a mighty Kirin, a holy creature ordained by the heavens and the one who made him the emperor in the first place. His good friend and advisor.

"Ek! No! I met this girl that was like, 16!"

"Oh, high school girl?"

"Hai!"

"Nice sense of taste, Enki." Enki's face flushed bright red, and Shoryuu half expected steam to erupt from his ears at any second.

"Your majesty." _Oh, he's pissed at me._ But Shoryuu smirked regardless. "She smelt like blood. Like a Youma. A _powerful_ Youma. She had blood red eyes, and deathly white hair." From the serious expression on the seemingly young Enki, Shoryuu stopped joking around. For a Youma to have his Kirin jittery, and to look human…

"Did you engage in combat?"

"Well, I _tried_. But she just…kinda fell over and started sobbing."

"Like an average human teenager?"

"Hai. And she…looked so helpless. From the power I sensed, she could have seriously injured me. When she lashed out at me, thus my deep purple bruise, it was a slap. Not a summoning technique or binding spell. Or even a punch." Shoryuu, despite himself, snickered at this.

"She bitch slapped you?"

"Your majesty. I would prefer you not to take this so lightly." Enki's left eye twitched at his Emperor, who put his hands up in apology. "I got the feeling…she didn't even _know_ how hard she hit me. I seriously felt like my jaw had been unhinged, and the attack was spontaneous, so there was hardly any intended force behind it."

"Calling the bitch slap an attack makes it seem so much more manly, doesn't it?" Enki scowled, but _refused_ to reply to that.

"I didn't know what to do. She wouldn't submit to me." Shoryuu smirked, and Enki was _so_ tempted to hit him over the head for that. But he resisted. "And when she broke down…I opened a Shoku, and sent her back to this world. She is a Youma, I am certain of it. She isn't human in the slightest. Other than appearance. But _I_ look human, but am far from one."

"Hai…true. And if you are sure she was not human, I believe you."

"When we arrived here…something happened." Enki got to his feet and looked very troubled. "I had to engage a flock of Kouchou Youma. As soon as we entered this word, they swarmed on us. And…they only targeted me. The girl fell from my arms and into the ocean. As soon as I dropped her, the Kouchou withdrew and didn't seem to even care I was there. It was like…"

"Like she had summoned them?"

"Hai…it seemed so. But if she did, why didn't she call them to rescue her from the ocean? If it wasn't impossible for me to see her, _I_ would have retrieved her but…"

"You were unable. I understand."

"I just thought I would report what had happened on my latest excursion to Wa." Enki frowned, and looked out the window also. When he looked back, the Emperor was looking right at him, his opinion made.

"I am also concerned, Enki. If this Youma was too powerful for you to tame, then this is a cause for due concern. However, if this is just a girl with the ability to control a few Youma, like many people in this world, then I am not concerned. Although…you just made her a Kaikyaku, if she is innocent."

"If she can control Youma, she belongs in this world anyway." Shoryuu sighed, and returned to looking out the window. "I couldn't even tell you which kingdom she washed up in…"

"I will send word to all the other countries to keep a look out for a girl with white hair, red eyes and pale skin, who cannot speak the language of this world."

"Hai, Your highness." Enki closed his eyes and turned to leave.

"Where are you going Enki?"

"I was summoned to converse with the Taiho of Kei."

"Ah, Keiki. Give him my regards, and as him to inform the Empress of Kei she has yet to reply to my last letter of correspondence."

"Ne? What about?" He then raised a fist at him and scowled with a sweat drop at him. "If you're hassling her or courting her, Keiki will learn of it and-"

"Do what? Give you the cold shoulder?" Shoryuu smirked, determined to have the last laugh. Even at Enki's expense. "If I were to have romantic intentions towards the Empress of Kei, is that such a problem? Shouldn't her Kirin be pleased that her relations with such a prosperous country like En had improved? Is it forbidden for the royalty of one kingdom to become involved with that of another?" he then sat forward, placed his elbows on his knees and perched his chin on his hands. The amused smirk on his face, made Enki feel quite pale, and ill. "_Or_…is it because our Taiho of Kei, has yet to reveal his inner feelings towards his Empress?" Enki fell over, literally, only to jump up and point at Shoryuu's smirking dog expression.

"You shouldn't say such things!"

"But they're true."

"You have no way of knowing that! And you shouldn't say such things to me either…"

"Why? Because you agree?"

"Nani?!?! No!

"Then there is no problem telling fact and opinion to my most trusted advisor, Enki, is there?" Enki sighed, not about to win this one. The wise Kirin decided to escape with his pride while he could.

"I must meet with Keiki."

"Tell him women like flowers, compliments and smiles." Enki grit his teeth, as a vein throbbed angrily on his forehead. He took a deep breath, turned on his heel, and refused to snap at Shoryuu. As deep down, though he would never admit it…he _did_ agree.

"Farwell, Emperor."

"Oh, Enki?"

"Hai?" He looked over his shoulder at the Emperor.

"Didn't you ask why I was corresponding with the Empress of Kei?" When Enki didn't make a move to leave, he took that as a yes. "I assume you know of the death of the Emperor of Shun, ne?"

"Hai." Enki returned to his spot on the window bench, and ran his arms on the window ledge leisurely. He knew the letter wouldn't be to inform each other of the death, but _about_ the death.

"Then, did you know that the Emperor, took his own life, due to the death of his son?"

"Hai. His son wasn't granted immortality like he was, as after the Empress left him for another man and renounced her right to be a Sannin, she died 70 years later. The Prince was so distraught, he found the old man who was her lover, and killed him in his sleep. The heavens were angry, and sent him an illness. After the Prince died, the Emperor, after 40 years on the throne, took his own life in grief. Was that three days ago?"

"Hai." Shoryuu sighed into his hands, and closed his eyes in deep thought. "The Taiho of Shun, Shunki, returned to the Nyosen at Mount Hou after two days mourning, this morning. Since news of the death, her Empress and I have decided to assist the kingdom of Shun with financial and political aid to keep the country from collapsing, until Shunki can select a new Emperor. That may not be for a number of years…so as you can understand. There are a lot of 'bugs' to work out before we propose it to the government of Shun." He then opened his sharp brown eyes on his sombre Kirin. Brown seemed to have drawn the same conclusions as the deep blue ones of his Kirin. That basically meant, he approved. "_And_ when we should next rendezvous for out mad, passionate love affair behind the garden bushes." At this, Enki comically blinked at him madly, until Shoryuu laughed his head off, and Enki pouted with embracement.

"Well! I am more than late in meeting Keiki, I bid you farewell!" And Enki left like that, leaving the Emperor of En to smile, but frown on the inside.

For a Kirin to have an Emperor take his own life like that…he couldn't image what Enki would feel like if tomorrow, he woke up to the cold corpse of his Emperor.

The Emperor decided to pray to Tentei that night, to pray for Shunki's emotional wounds to heal quickly.

ooOoo

"Don't do that Sojobo! Saijobo, that means you to!" Yasha stirred, making pre-waking mumbling noises, as a pair of tongues laped at her cheeks.

"Momma…"

"She smells nice. She's really pretty."

"That's very nice Saijobo, dear. But you really shouldn't do that! If she wakes and finds you licking her face like that, she will _not_ be pleased! Do you wish to be beaten?! Stop it now!" She felt a large lick, like a dog, against her cheek, and she giggled. All the voices around her were warm, happy voices. "She's awake!! Get back here, now!"

"AH!, Move!"

"Saijobo-chan! Over here, quick!" Yasha sat up, and rubbed her eyes. The first thing she noticed, was that her skin was warm and…dry and…naked?!?! She yelped, and drew her legs up to her chest. She hugged her knees, and frantically looked from left to right, for any sort of explanation. Her long ghostly white hair seemed longer than before, in wild tendrils, not smooth locks, and she flinched. She could taste blood in her mouth for some reason…and she couldn't find any cuts in her mouth with her tongue either…so where did it come from? And she wasn't hungry. Hmm, odd, ne?

It was then that Yasha noticed just where she was.

It looked like she was still in the forest, but it was dry here. It was very dark, but rays of morning light poured in through openings above in the tall tree canopy, down into this dwelling. Her blood crimson eyes saw three large gatherings of leaves and branches, bound round into the largest nests she had ever seen. Then she looked to her own feet, and gasped.

Where were her ivory pale feet?

She let her eyes travel up the length of her legs, up each arm, and even looked down at her front briefly.

In the place of her almost sickly pale porcelain skin, was a smooth honey tan. Darker than that of normal people, _never mind_ an albino. She then checked her hair, and frowned. She had hoped her natural pigment might have changed too…ah well. It was still ghostly white, but oddly enough, in long wild tendrils, and a lot thicker than usual. For now, she put it down to spending the night on the forest floor.

Even though she was naked, hugging her knees to her chest, she didn't _actually_ feel in any sort of danger, actually. She felt warm, safe.

Yasha looked around again, and _then_ felt uneasy.

There was a pair of gleaming purple eyes staring at her intently from the shadows of the trees. She gasped, and became very tense. The being those eyes belonged to must have noticed her reaction, because they ran forward.

Well, Yasha had never screamed so loudly.

Bounding out of the shadows, came the largest weasel she had ever seen.

It was the size of a small _stallion_, had thick black fur covering all it's slender, stream line body. Except for it's paws and chest, where it was white. It had a long body, and gracefully elongated neck, common to all weasel. As was the long thin tail. It had a short snout, with a black button nose, and weasel face.

Gleaming, dark purple eyes blinked at her, and it ungracefully skidded to a stop right in front of her. It looked like it was about to tip over, but it got its balance. Yasha screamed even LOUDER, jumped to her feet, and tried to bolt for safety, when it got up on it's hind legs, and threw it's arms around her.

"Gomennasai Youma-Dono!" Yasha blanched.

Not only did it speak, but it spoke with the voice of a small girl. "Forgive me, Youma-Dono! I didn't mean to insult you with my presence, but you just smell so good! And are so warm, and pretty, and, and, and, and forgive me! Youma-Dono!" Yasha started to hyperventilate when it stood at its full height on its hind legs, and her feet didn't touch the floor.

"Saijobo! Put her Ladyship down, now!" an older female voice snapped through the shadows. Dear God, let that be its mother!

"Okaasan!" It wined, and Yasha gulped. She suddenly felt like a rag doll in the hands of a naughty child…

"Saijobo! Okaasan said to let her ladyship down, now!" Yasha squeaked with fear, as a carbon copy of the first monster weasel stepped out of the shadows, but was the size of a small dog, and had brown fur where the first had black. But the eyes were the same, terrifying and dark purple.

"Imoutosan!" It pouted, and slowly lowered her to her feet.

"Now let go Saijobo." The motherly voice barked.

"Hai, Okaasan." It brought its strong fury arms back, and Yasha trembled there. "Are you cold Youma-Dono?" It made the moves to hold her again, so she bolted towards a tree, hid behind it, and watched them, terrified and confused.

Since when did weasels come in such a colour, at such a large size, with the ability to actually _talk_?!?!? "Youma-Dono?"

"W Where are my c clothes?!?" Yasha squeaked, trembling more than ever. Especially when the weasel known as Saijobo lowered to all fours and started walking towards her.

"They were all torn and dirty. So we got rid of them for you. Besides, you don't need clothes in your true form, Youma-Dono. Why don't you transform back now, Youma-Dono? I'd be honoured to see your true form!"

"T true form?"

"_Answer me this, Youma. How did you get to Wa?"_

"_Submit to my power, Youma. Combine yin and yang! Resist no longer!" _

"_Who…what are you?"_

_Why…do I keep hearing that word? Youma. This creature says it too. It calls me Youma-Dono. What does it mean?_

"Don't be deluded, child!" The mother voice, as she called it, spoke out from the shadows once more, scolding her child. At least she was sure it was a she now. "To be in the presence of such a mighty Youma in her true form is an honour the likes of us mere Itachi will never experience. Don't delude yourself to think otherwise."

"Hai…" the large creature bowed her head sadly and let her long slender ears droop by each side of her narrow head.

"I…Oh!" Yasha caught herself, and hid further behind the tree. "W What is a Youma…?"

"We are, of course! Youma-Dono!" Saijobo chuckled, and scampered towards her. She cowered behind the tree, and 'Saijobo' stopped. "My name is Saijobo, an Itachi Youma. You are a Youma too, a powerful one."

"Powerful…?" She peered her head round the tree to look at her.

Now that she really looked at her, other than her size, she wasn't really that scary. She liked black, and wore it all the time at home. So wasn't it just like having black fur? And purple is the same colour as pretty flowers. Purple didn't scare her. And elephants are big, but not scary. And her voice was like that of a young girl. How could she have ever found such a creature frightening? Especially with her clumsy movements and childish ambiance.

"Hai! Very powerful! The most powerful Youma I've ever smelt! And we came from the Ranka of the Yaboko tree in the yellow sea! We migrated here after my little sister was born, Sojobo."

"You left your home?"

"All Youman leave their birth grounds some day. If we didn't, there would be too many of us in one place, and we would become over populated, Youma-Dono." Saijobo giggled, and trotted up to the other side of the tree. She stood on her Hind feet again, and held the tree with her forepaws, mirroring the way Yasha held onto the tree bark with her hands. Her big, gleaming purple eyes shone down at her, and she _thought_ she saw her smile…with fangs. "Is something wrong, Youma-Dono? Have you migrated and lost your pack?"

"…I am lost." She then gulped. "How do you know I'm a Youma?"

"Easy! I can smell you! Youma-Dono." Saijobo giggled, and curved her neck around the tree, to smile down at her. "I can smell you are a Youma. I'm quite a skilled Itachi, really!"

"Humph." Sojobo turned her head away, and Yasha giggled as Saijobo pouted back at her sister.

"Imoutosan! Don't doubt your older sister like that…"

"Erm…" Yasha gulped, and peered round the tree, up at her dark furred acquaintance. "So…we are all Youman."

"Hai, Youma-Dono."

"Then, I truly _am_ lost." _I've never heard or even studied a place that has such creatures…but then again…_

"_Oni-chan!"_

"_Go back to where you came from!"_

"_Look at her hair! Her eyes! She must be a demon!"_

"_We are all Youman, Youma-Dono!"_

"_I can smell you are a Youma. I'm wuite a skilled Itachi, really!"_

"_Answer me this, Youma. How did you get to Wa?"_

"_Submit to my power, Youma. Combine yin and yang! Resist no longer!" _

"_Who…what are you?"_

…_but then again…I never did feel like I belonged in Japan…and everyone keeps telling me I'm a monster…_

Yasha looked up at the tall Weasel Youma, known as one of the Itachi species, and nodded.

Yes, she must be one of them.

Why else would she have been treated so badly up until now, if she was not like everyone else?

"I am Youman. My name is Yasha Tengu…was…"

"Youma-Dono. That isn't a very Youma name."

"Then…what is?"

"Nani?!?! You want _me_ to name you?!?!"

"Hai. I…would." _I don't know what are and are not Youma names…_

"…Hmm…" Saijobo thought. "I know! Tsaijoka! Tsaijoka Youma-Dono! Do you like it…?" She seemed so bashful, but Yasha…no…Tsaijoka smiled for the first time in her life, with feeling behind it.

"I am Tsaijoka. A Youma. Home." even saying it, felt so good, it brought tears to her crimson eyes. "I am truly home!" She ran at Saijobo, who embraced her, and sobbed happily. "I'm home…" She then blushed. "Could I get some clothes?"

"Clothes…right."

"And where are we?"

"You really are lost, aren't you Youma-Dono?!" Saijobo nodded, and fell to all fours. "Were are your pack? Your parents?"

"I…don't know. I never…had parents. You could say I've been lost all my life."

"What?!?! Then it's decided! Okaasan!" Saijobo called out to the shadows. "The great Yadōkai must have destined me to accompany fair Youma-Dono back to her family! I will escort the great Youma-Dono back to the Yellow sea to her Yaboko tree where her Ranka ripened, to track down her pack! Don't try to stop me Okaasan! It is my destiny!" Before she knew it, Yasha-I mean Tsaijoka found herself swept up onto the soft furry back of her new companion Saijobo, still naked you understand, and brought into the middle of the nest clearing.

"I wouldn't dream of stopping you, child." The mother voice said tenderly from the shadows. "We Itachi are honoured enough to have one of our own serve such a mighty Youma as yourself, Tsaijoka-Dono. Even if it is _you_ Saijobo…"

"Okaasan?!?!"

"Take care my child, protect the Youma-Dono with your life, and try to mature on the way." The mother voice chuckled, and the younger Itachi called Sojobo returned to the shadows with its mother.

"Hai! I will! Tsaijoka, Youma-Dono." Tsaijoka looked down at her with bewilderment. "I pledge my eternal loyalty and allegiance to you, and will obey only you. My life is yours, and your life is more valuable to me than my own."

"S…Saijobo!"

"Call me Sai, Youma-Dono."

"Then…" she had to think for a moment. "Tsai. Call me Tsai."

"Hai." She then prepared herself. "Hold on my Lady."

"N, nani?" Saijobo bolted forward with such a speed, her supple dark fur body whipped and curved round all the trees like living lighting. Tsaijoka had to hold on with all her might to Saijobo's fur, as to not fall off.

But for all the time they travelled, Tsaijoka smiled.

This was the first time she could say someone cared for her. The first time she had a friend. The first time she felt…happy.


End file.
